Method of and apparatus for treating refractory material



March 11, 1930. E. L. HAUMAN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING REFRACTORY MATERIAL Original Filed OCT.. ll, 1926 2 'Sheets-Sheet l March 11, 1930. 1 L, HAUMAN 1,750,468

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING REFRACTORY MATERIAL Original Filed Oct. 1l, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Izzi/zwar EarLLHazfzlml Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE EARL LEESON HAUMAN, OF ST. CATHERINES, ONTARIO, CANADA, -ASSIGNOR TO THE EXOLON COMPANY, OF BLASDELL, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION MASSACHU- SETTS METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING REFRACTORY MATERIAL @riginal application led October 11, 1926, Serial No. 141,021. Divided and this application led January 31, 1929. Serial No. 336,813.

This invention relates to the t-reatment of refractory materials and is a division of my prior application Serial No. 141,021, which as become Patent No. 1,702,942, to which reference is made as containing a full discussion of the problems of the art.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a side elevation of one form of retort having a fixed arch.

Fig. 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic transverse section of the same showing the progressive building of the pig.

The pig P is built up'in successive layers or accretions on a pig support or car C which lil vlr is mounted within the furnace for movement towards and from the archA thereof, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. 'The car C travels on two horizontally disposed I beams Il, which extend underneath and beyond the outside of opposing fixed walls a predetermined distance, and each carries an eye-bolt at its end. Cables C1 passing over corresponding pulleys S and fast to said eye-bolts, furnish means for vertical adjustment of the car C.

The fire brick walls B for retaining the charges for the pig P are builtup as the successive layers of material are added to form the ultimate pig. When the pig is completed the car is lowered and run out on the track T and a new car run in for the next operation.

The heat supplied to the charge may be reflection from a refractory roof or by radiation from a radiant surface. In the apparatus shown I have indicated a torch T fed by an oil conduit O and an air supply G.

When the initial charge is treated to fuse v the bond with the boraX, borate or other agent to reduce it to a frangible glass and the initial pig P is still in its heated condition, I

lower the car C to produce a separation between the pig surface and the heat surface.

I then supply additional material to form a second layer for a secondary strata or pig part fused upon and to the first portion. The

second portion'is heated by the rst from below and by the heat surface from above and is rapidly and economically brought to its desired condition.

In preparing for the second pig, the retaining wall is run up by the addition of bricks to hold the added charge and the steps are similarly continued until a pig of the desired size is completed.

In this way, a pig can be formed of several tons and capable of being efiiciently handled and worked. This is broken and crushed and treated as may be desired.

The apparatus may obviously be varied and the pig. variously shaped and formed. The pig can be disposed as desired and the heat applied as desired. The utilization of a heat reiiecting or radiating surface is of known eiiiciency but other modes may be employed. All such modifications and variants are to be considered as within the'purviewv of my invention as delined in the appended claims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I 1. In a step bystep retort of the class dcscribed, an arch, a material support adjustable relative to said arch, and means for progressively lowering the support to maintain the surface of successive layers of material in predetermined spaced relation thereto.

2. In a step by step retort of the class described', an arch and a material support comprising a car disposable beneath said arch, and means for progressively lowering said car to maintain the surfaces of successive layers of material in predetermined spaced relation thereto.

3. In the reduction of a material in a retort having a heat delivering surface, those steps consisting in building successive layers of the material in superposed relation 0n a material support Whichis adjustable relative to said heat delivering surface, and in progressively lowering the material support to mansin the sufalce of successive layers 0 merid in prede'temned spaced reaftlon mento.

l. *bhe 'eductlon of material in a metodi having am arch, hose seps consisting i providing; a maeriz suppe@ which is adjusmbe relative to said web and on which successive layers of th@ mam'al are built up in supe@ paged wlmi/cn, and in pmgrssvely lowelng the mafial supp dio maintain the smfmce of suficessve layms of material in preder mined spaced el;

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